Leng Yu started, then quickly asked, “Those kinds of trucks? Could it be that the military has already arrived?”
“If that were the case, the guard room wouldn’t be deserted. Besides, that’s not the critical point. These specific trucks are typically favored by the warlords of Myanmar. While they might be slightly smaller, their exterior boasts a steel shell, making them, to put it dramatically, armored transport vehicles. Given the constant skirmishes among Myanmar warlords, their transportation naturally demands such robust construction.”
Little Zhao, who had been standing beside them, cast an uneasy glance at a surveillance camera perched atop a nearby grain silo. “Are you implying that warlords from Myanmar are here now? How could they have possibly entered? Isn’t there a customs checkpoint?”
The moment the words escaped his lips, a sudden tremor ran through Little Zhao’s entire body. He had almost simultaneously grasped the terrifying implication.
If the zombie outbreak possessed the power to sever national communications and cripple both military and police systems, then surely it could just as easily render customs operations entirely defunct?
This particular zombie virus had, by all accounts, ravaged the entire nation at a speed utterly defying epidemiological principles, and rumor had it, the world too.
It was entirely conceivable that the staff within customs, the border police, and even the military forces had all succumbed to the transformation.
Why, then, had these nefarious individuals seemingly been spared the transformation, now brazenly taking over? That was a question perhaps beyond their immediate comprehension.
Noticing Little Zhao’s dawning realization, Jing Lan let out a soft sigh, his voice dropping to a hushed tone. “The border once served as a bulwark for our inland security, yet many have forgotten that our neighbor, Myanmar, has been embroiled in conflict for years. Were it not for the numerous criminals in northern Myanmar engaging in telecommunications fraud, frequently making headlines, their notoriety would be even more obscure.”
“Now, with the border effectively paralyzed, if those Myanmar warlords and telecommunications fraudsters haven’t all succumbed to the virus, they will undoubtedly attempt to infiltrate our country. This was a possibility I had previously fretted over, but it appears to have materialized far more swiftly than anticipated.”
Leng Yu ventured, “Could this be a misunderstanding? What if those two vehicles actually belong to the grain corporation, and they simply discovered that armored trucks were exceptionally practical, thus making the switch?”
Jing Lan shook his head. “While I wouldn’t say it’s impossible, I habitually disregard optimistic scenarios. Should this prove to be a false alarm, no harm is done. Conversely, overlooking a dire possibility could prove fatal.”
“I can’t help but feel as if you’ve been through something significant… Perhaps we should first seek refuge in a corner and deliberate our next course of action?”
Having already produced his MP9, Jing Lan meticulously began inspecting the firearm’s condition. “The entire granary should be thoroughly covered by surveillance cameras. The absence of anyone appearing now implies one of two things: either the individuals who own those armored trucks have also transformed into zombies, or the people tasked with monitoring the feeds are currently derelict in their duties.”
“Therefore, we must decide at once: either we press forward, accelerating directly toward the office building, acknowledging that our current firearms lack the range to reach it. The inherent risk is that they might eliminate us with a few swift bursts of gunfire. Alternatively, we could immediately retrace our steps, capitalizing on our proximity to the main gate. Leng Yu, the choice is yours.”
Leng Yu’s brow twitched as he seized Jing Lan’s arm. “What exactly do you mean by that? Do you intend to act as a mere strategist, then simply cast the burden of success or failure upon me?”
“What else, then? Do you perhaps wish to relinquish your position as leader to me?!” Jing Lan retorted, a surge of irritation coloring his tone. ‘You aspire to be emperor, don’t you? Now that I’ve handed you the power of decision, are you still dissatisfied?’
Little Zhao, clearly a level-headed young man, sensed the rising tension and quickly intervened. “My two esteemed brothers, one calm, one collected, please, maintain your composure! It is utterly inappropriate to discuss blame or responsibility at this juncture. Our priority should be swift action!”
Thankfully, neither man was so stubborn as to prolong the argument, and they immediately ceased their bickering. Leng Yu retracted his hand, then drew his P22 from its holster on his belt. “Very well, I’ll make the decision. We cannot have come all this way for naught. We’ll risk everything and proceed directly to the office building.”
“Then we run, and we run now. Be sure to weave between the grain silos, utilizing them as cover.”
With a shared resolve, the three immediately began their dash toward the office building, which lay approximately 500 meters distant.
Indeed, numerous surveillance cameras were mounted on the perimeter walls and atop the grain silos, seemingly covering every conceivable corner of the compound.
Jing Lan silently prayed that no one was currently monitoring the surveillance feeds.
All three maintained a brisk pace, covering roughly 200 meters in about half a minute. Just then, Jing Lan’s eyes caught a fleeting glimpse of a tiny spark, flickering from behind a darkened window on the third floor of the office building.
Instantly, he dropped to a prone position, rolled swiftly, and took cover behind the corner of the adjacent grain silo.
Almost simultaneously, two sharp ‘bangs’ ripped through the air, causing a shower of sparks to erupt from the very spot where he had been standing, and sending fragments scattering across the concrete pavement.
It appeared the marksman had targeted Jing Lan, who was leading the charge, yet narrowly missed. Leng Yu, trailing closely, cursed under his breath as he too dove for cover behind the corner. Little Zhao, however, was a fraction of a second too slow; a stray bullet tore into his left arm, ripping his gray jacket into strips and sending a fragment of his triceps muscle flying.
Nevertheless, he gritted his teeth, steadied his reeling body, stumbled a couple of steps, and finally found refuge in the corner, where he couldn’t suppress a pained groan.
“What now?” Leng Yu asked.
“The walkie-talkie. Alert the people outside the wall.”
“Should we bring them inside?”
Jing Lan shook his head. “We are critically short on long-range weaponry. Judging by the sound of their gunfire, they’re likely using M43 rounds, common in AK-pattern rifles, which can easily hit targets at three to four hundred meters. We simply cannot engage them in a direct firefight.”
“Then why notify them at all?” Leng Yu pressed, his voice laced with anxiety as he used Little Zhao’s sleeve to hastily bandage the wound.
“First, instruct them to establish roadblocks and defensive positions at the granary entrance. The granary’s perimeter walls, standing at five meters high and topped with barbed wire, will prevent our people from entering, but crucially, will also trap them inside. Only then can we attempt negotiations.”
Leng Yu immediately activated his walkie-talkie, relaying the dire situation within the granary to his two trusted subordinates, Hu Che and Zhou Pi, who were stationed outside the gate.
Hu Che immediately erupted in curses. “Damn it! That Jing Lan must be a spy, right? He’s intentionally trying to get you killed!”
Zhou Pi, however, maintained a calm demeanor as he inquired, “How should we arrange these roadblocks?”
Jing Lan responded through the walkie-talkie, “Locate several vehicles on the main road, drive them to the granary entrance, and then deflate their tires. Further back, dig foxholes and position marksmen in ambush.”
Yet Hu Che continued his tirade. “Why weren’t you more careful from the outset? Now you’ve landed in trouble and expect us to bail you out. What if we end up getting dragged down with you?”
Jing Lan switched off the walkie-talkie, then turned to Leng Yu. “How exactly did you manage to recruit a subordinate of this caliber?”
Leng Yu replied, “He’s a former convict. His father is my father’s cousin’s paternal cousin’s…”
Jing Lan pressed a hand to his forehead. “And Zhou Pi?”
“I recruited him myself.”
“Does he have his mobile phone on him?”
“He does.”
“Text him. Tell him to kill Hu Che directly. Otherwise, with Hu Che causing such a commotion, the team outside the gate might very well collapse.”
Leng Yu fell silent for a moment before producing his phone. Jing Lan, too, retrieved his own, activating its video recording function, then subtly extended it beyond the corner of the wall to capture the scene on the office building’s side.
Below the office building, a warehouse’s rolling shutter door began to slowly ascend, dimly revealing several indistinct figures within.
****
A text message suddenly appeared on Zhou Pi’s phone:
[Shoot and kill Hu Che immediately.]
The message had arrived silently, making it impossible for Hu Che, who was loudly airing his grievances to the others, to know that Zhou Pi had received it.
The text message had indeed originated from Leng Yu’s phone, and upon reflection, its content seemed entirely rational. Hu Che was actively sowing discord within the team and defying their leader’s directives. In such a perilous moment, a drastic measure, an ‘ad hoc’ solution, was entirely understandable.
Yet Zhou Pi had never taken a life before. A sudden fear gripped him: what if his shot went awry?
As he hesitated, Hu Che, who had been loudly spewing curses alongside the others, abruptly spun around and fixed his gaze on Zhou Pi. “Don’t you agree, Little Zhou? What if we simply abandon that idiot Leng Yu inside, then return and I let you be the leader of our group? You’re far more capable than I am; how about I relinquish the leadership to you?!”
Zhou Pi, flustered, shook his head. “This… how could we possibly do such a thing? Boss Leng has always treated us well; how could we betray him now?”
Hu Che scoffed, then swept his gaze across the others. “And what about the rest of you? There could be hundreds, even thousands, of bandits inside. Leng Yu and his companions are undoubtedly doomed. Do you truly wish to share their fate?”
The majority of the remaining individuals were ordinary survivors, with no particular vested interests tied to Leng Yu. Faced with Hu Che’s blunt question, they all stammered, unable to voice a coherent response.
‘This is bad,’ Zhou Pi silently exclaimed. Hu Che was clearly on the verge of swaying the entire team to his treacherous path. Even if he managed to shoot him down, what then? What if the rest of the team mutinied and turned on him instead?
Yet, a different thought quickly took root: this scoundrel, Hu Che, was likely not merely advocating for retreat; he genuinely sought to usurp leadership for himself. While typically efficient in his tasks, his true nature was despicable. Should he ascend to power, there was no telling what chaos he might unleash. It would be far better to eradicate the problem at its root, to strike preemptively, and thus avert further calamity.
As Hu Che turned away, Zhou Pi’s hand instinctively reached into his pocket, his fingers closing around his P22.